Chandigarh, September 8 - The governments of Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir today formally agreed to resume the work on the long stalled Shahpur Kandi project.

The ‘Ratification of Agreement’ was exchanged between the Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Ms Mehbooba Mufti and the Punjab Irrigation and Power Minister, Rana Gurjeet Singh, who was representing the Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh, who is away to the United Kingdom. Rana Gurjeet led a high powered delegation which included senior officials from the departments of power and irrigation.

The decision for resumption of work was ratified by the cabinets of two respective states and the ratification of agreement was exchanged today.

While the Punjab cabinet had ratified the decision long back to resume the work on the Shahpur Kandi project, the Jammu and Kashmir government ratified the decision last month. The power project will have a capacity of 206 MWs.

The project will be monitored by the Central Water Commission. The JK government had objected and stalled the work on the project about three years ago. It was after sustained deliberations between the two governments and the intervention of the Prime Minister’s Office that the two states finally agreed to resume the work.

Giving details, Rana Gurjeet, who represented the CM Punjab, said, it was mutually beneficial for the both states of Punjab as well as Jammu and Kashmir. He said, not only will it help in generation of extra power, but will also lead to maximum use of the water from the Ravi river, which is otherwise flowing into Pakistan.

Rana also expressed his gratitude to the JK CM, Ms Mufti saying, she was instrumental in helping to revive the project, which besides being beneficial to the two states, is of national importance.

“This was possible only with the cooperation of the Hon CM Ms Mufti and the personal initiative of the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India”, he said, while assuring that Punjab government was not only committed to complete the project but also fulfill all the commitments and obligations.